1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pumps, pump devices, and methods of making the same.
2. State of the Art
Pump systems and pump devices are well known and are used for the delivery of a variety of fluids or pasty products. In the personal and beauty care markets, pumps and pump devices are often used to deliver a fluid—such as lotions, soaps, make-up, skin treatment formulas, and other products—to a user. Many of the pumps used include metal and plastic parts. For example, a pump may include a metal valve part and a metal spring and the remaining components of the pump may be made of molded plastic or resin materials. However, many fluids or products which are dispensed by pumps are reactive with metal. Therefore, it is desirable to have a fluid path that is free of metal. Also, as sustainability of products becomes more important to certain markets, there is the desire to have pumps that may be recycled. In many instances, pumps having both metal and plastic components cannot be recycled using conventional recycling processes due to the mixed material components. Therefore, it is desirable to construct a pump out of common materials that may be easily recycled without requiring the disassembly of the pump. In addition, all plastic pumps are desirable. However, it is also desirable that the functionality of an all plastic pump be similar to or better than that of mixed component pumps.